The Stories Are True
by ohmygoshcheese
Summary: The Transformers arrived in 1984, and that's the year they disappeared as well. After an enormous battle between age-old enemies, both Autobots and Decepticons vanished from Earth, scattered throughout the universe. Fast forward to 2014 and college freshman Kate makes a discovery that could cause history to repeat itself. It certainly proves the robots were more than a toy ad... AU
1. Intro

Hello! It's been a long time since I've been on here. This has been floating around for a couple weeks now, so I decided to go ahead and write it down. Do enjoy. (There is an author's note at the end. Please read!)

I do not own Transformers. I do own Kate and Jacob.

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"Class dismissed. Don't forget to do your homework." Kate's physics teacher stared down his class before letting them go. The college freshman gathered her books and walked toward the door only to be intercepted by her closest friend, Jacob.

"Hey, Kate, wanna hang out tonight? I hear there's a huge party happening at one of the upper class man dorms." The Indian boy's dark brown eyes practically glowed with excitement at the thought of loud music and tons of people. Kate's green eyes, however, remained uninterested.

"No thanks. You know I don't really like that kind of stuff..."

"Aw, come on! You're in college! You've gotta get out and meet some people! Have a little fun!"

"I do meet people! I just prefer to meet them when they have full judgement and are not grinding to mindless music with lyrics even a sheep could write."

"Ouch. Fine. Have fun moping in your room, Miss Boring."

Kate merely waved him off and shut her dorm room door behind her. Just as she was getting ready to settle down and start a major paper due for her English class, her roommate barged through the door bringing about twelve people with her. The sudden increase in noise level caused Kate to sigh and close her laptop. She grabbed her room key and iPod and snuck out the door, leaving her roommate to rant about how unfair her life is.

Kate was still new to the area, so she decided to go exploring. Colorado was very different from her hometown of Baton Rouge. She hadn't even planned on going to school here until she received a scholarship offer she couldn't refuse. She loved how the humidity so common in Louisiana was nonexistent, but she also missed the taste of fresh seafood. Still, the mountains of Colorado amazed her, and that was where she decided to explore today. Finding a hiking trail, Kate set her iPod on shuffle and walked on.

After about 25 minutes of walking, she came across a small valley hidden by mountains. She was about to walk on when something caught her eye. Curious, the girl carefully, made her way down. When she came closer, Kate discovered the object was an old, rusty semi truck.

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Guess who~ ;P

Don't worry, the real chapters will be much longer. This was simply an intro to get a feel for the story and (sorta) establish my OC. I'll try to update when I can. I don't have a specific schedule, especially now because of work and preparing for college... However, I'm on vacation right now, so maybe the first chapter will pop up soon~

Thank you for reading! :D


	2. More Than Meets the Eye

I can't believe I wrote chapter 1 so quickly.. Don't get used to this, I'm on vacation right now... Anyway, this ended up being shorter than I hoped, but I think it sets the story up well so I'm going to leave it.

I do not own Transformers, but Transformers owns me. OTL

I do own Kate.

Thank you for the favs and follows, and huge thank you to my first reviewer! Already! :D

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**Ch. 1 - More Than Meets the Eye**

"What is an old truck doing in the middle of a valley? I didn't see any roads..." Kate reached up to the rusty old handle and was surprised to find it unlocked. She yanked the door open and dust floated down to settle on her shoulders and light brown hair. Ignoring her new accessories, Kate hoisted herself up into the truck's cabin. She peered around and noticed a strange marking on the wheel. Brushing the dust off, Kate discovered an engraving of a robot-like face. Her eyebrows furrowed together. "I've seen this before..." However, her memory failed her and she shrugged it off. "I know! I'll clean the truck off and maybe find a way to get it working again." With a new goal in mind, Kate hopped down and shut the door. She then started the journey back to campus before the sun could go down.

Over the next few weeks the hidden valley became Kate's secret getaway. Nearly every day after class, she would hurry down there to her truck. She had cleaned and dusted the truck and done her best to get rid of the rust. She wondered if she could restore the paint job as well.

"Well, it's Friday. Now you and I get a whole weekend together." Kate said to the semi. For a moment she thought she heard the truck hum quietly in response, but immediately waved away the thought. How could an inanimate truck understand her words? Suddenly, a low rumble jerked the girl out of her thoughts. A storm had rolled in without warning and was about to break overhead. As huge drops of rain began to splash on her nose, Kate gasped and clambered into the cab. The storm released it's full fury over the Earth. A particularly violent crash of thunder startled Kate, and her hand accidentally smacked the robot symbol on the steering wheel. Immediately, the truck roared to life. Kate was so startled that she fell backwards out of the truck onto the ground. Within seconds she was drenched. A deep voice echoed through the storm, "Are you okay?"

"Who said that? Where are you?" Kate shouted above the gale.

In response, the truck in began to transform right in front of her eyes. The hood popped up, the doors flew open, and the truck itself stood up. Metal shifted and squeaked until a humanoid robot towered in front of the trembling girl.

All of a sudden, stories her mother and grandmother used to tell her as a child came flooding into her memory banks. Stories of giant, transforming robots and an endless war they waged with each other flashed across her brain. So, it wasn't just a giant advertising campaign after all. The older generations were telling the truth. The Transformers were real, and one had just awoken right in front of her.

The robot leaned down to look Kate in the face (or at least as close as a giant robot could get), effectively jerking the girl out of her memories. The two blinked at each other for a couple seconds until Kate remembered how to move and talk again. "Uh.. I'm okay... A little wet though..." she stuttered.

"Oh. I am sorry," the Transformer apologized and reverted back into a truck. The doors opened and Kate only hesitated a moment before hopping in.

Happy to be out of the ever-worsening storm, Kate had a few questions to ask. "Who are you? How long have you been here? How do you do that whole transforming thing? Where are the rest of your people?" Yep, just a few questions.

"My name is Optimus Prime. I am the leader of the Autobots, a group of autonomous robotic organisms from the planet Cybertron. Please tell me, child, what year is it?"

"My name is Kate, and it's 2014. Why?"

Optimus was silent for moment then said, his voice grave, "I have been in recharge for 30 years. There is much I do not know. But I can tell you what I remember. The year was 1984, and the Autobots and our mortal enemies, the Decepticons, were at battle once again..."

The ground and sky around Kate disappeared and were replaced with the image of a large, flat desert. It would have been a barren and desolate scene if not for the enormous battling transformers. Metal and energon littered the battlefield.

"Wheeljack better hurry up with that new weapon. We're not doing so well here," Ironhide shouted over the din. As if on cue, Wheeljack himself rolled up, towing a threatening-looking device behind him.

"I'm here now. Get ready to watch those Decepti-scum burn." Wheeljack's bright blue optics were bright with anticipation. He started to set up his masterpiece, Ironhide and Sideswipe covering for him. However, on the opposite side of the battle, Knockout was also setting up a creation of his own under the watchful eye of Soundwave.

Both sides pointed their weapons at the other side's leader, who were currently locked in combat. Wheeljack and Knockout pressed the triggers and fell back with the force of the blow. Two equally powerful blasts rocketed toward each other at immense speeds. Instead of hitting their targets, the two enormous blasts collided causing an explosion that could give the atom bomb a run for its money. The blast instantly rendered each Autobot and Decepticon unconscious.

"The next thing I remember is waking up in this storm with you," Optimus finished his story to a stunned and silent Kate. "I believe the blast created multiple versions of a space bridge. I cannot detect any Cybertronian signals on this planet. They must have been scattered across the universe. At least, I am hoping that is what happened, and none of their signals went offline

permanently..." The Prime's voice trailed off gravely.

Sensing his worry, Kate quickly changed the subject. "But what about you? I mean, somehow you're still on Earth. Shouldn't we call the army or National Geographic or something? I mean,

you're basically a living relic! I didn't even think you were real until today..."

"You've heard of me?" Optimus sounded surprised.

"Yeah, my mom and grandma would tell me stories. Actually, pretty much everyone's parents and grandparents have stories, but they had no proof. So, we started to question the stories. People eventually accepted the idea that it was all a giant toy advertisement..." Kate gestured toward the bot. "Guess we were wrong."

Optimus pondered this new bit of information, then sighed. "I do not know what to do. I will remain here for now and attempt to think of something. For now, please keep my presence a secret. I do not wish to bring unnecessary attention just yet."

Kate nodded. "Makes sense... Maybe I can help you out. My grandma has tons of stories about you guys, more so than other people's families it seemed. She might know what to do. May I ask her?"

Optimus pondered her request for a silent moment, then slowly nodded. "Perhaps her intel may prove helpful, especially if she already knows a lot about us."

Kate grinned and nodded. "She knows tons!"

While the new friends were talking, something was stirring in deep space. Well, many somethings were stirring. Optimus Prime's awakening had sent a signal into every corner of the universe.

Scattered Cybertronians were waking up and moving around. One word echoed deep in their sparks: _Earth_.

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Who will make it to Earth first? Friend or foe? Stay tuned for the next installment of 'The Stories Are Real'!

Ahem. Sorry. How was it? Let me know if there are any typos, I'm editing this myself. Reviews are loved~

I also apologize if things don't make sense. I'll try to clear it all up in the next chapter or two...

Until next time!


	3. Secrets

Hey! Sorry for the late update... I got swamped with work and today was my best friend's birthday and ugh. Life. Anyway, here's a quick update for you~

Thank you to all my new favs, follows, and especially reviews! It means a lot.

I don't own Transformers. But my OCs are mine. No touchy.

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**Ch. 2 - Secrets**

"Hey, Grandma. It's Kate. Yes. I'm doing well. No, I haven't kissed any boys! Sheesh. Is that all you think about? What? No! I don't like girls! Ugh, Grandma, listen. I've got to ask you something. You know those stories you used to tell me? About the Transformers?" For once, Kate's grandma was silent. "Well, um, I may or may not have found one..."

Kate's grandma was still silent for several moments, and Kate was beginning to wonder if the old woman had fallen asleep. Finally, Kate's grandma, Rose, spoke, "So, they didn't completely disappear. All right, Kate, I'm coming for a visit. Tell me, who did you find?" Rose's voice was steady, barely containing a hint of almost childish excitement.

"He said his name was Op- Wait. You're coming for a visit?! Do you know them? What's going on?"

"I will explain later, child! Tell me, the bot you found, what is his name?" Rose asked urgently.

"Optimus Prime. His name's Optimus Prime!" Kate exclaimed.

Rose gasped quietly and whispered, her voice shaky, "He's alive..."

_Flashback:_

A young Rose decked in a military uniform barked orders to the men around her. She needed everything to be ready for the Autobots' arrival later that day. Anticipation coursed through her,

but she kept her emotions in check as all military leaders must. Suddenly, a horn blared, snapping the woman out of her thoughts. "They're here already? Shit, we're not ready yet!" Rose's calm facade disappeared. Before she could reach panic mode, several cars drove through the gates and began to transform. Rose froze and stared, not having experienced an Autobot

transformation yet. Awe filled her eyes as each car's metal shifted until several humanoid beings were staring back at her. She coughed and stood up straight, unsure of what to say. Fortunately the closest and tallest Bot took care of that for her. "Greetings. I am Optimus Prime, leader of the Autobots."

"And I am Lieutenant Rosemary Lewis. But please, call me Rose."

Rosemary Lewis kept her last name even after she married. Now, thirty years later, memories flooded back to her, almost overwhelming her. The aging woman sat in her rocking chair, a hand over her heart. No. Now was not the time to get faint-hearted. She was a Lieutenant. Her special ops team was never dismantled in case the Autobots came back. Now, they are back and it's

time for her to get to work. First things first, Rose decided to pack and think of new ways to tease her beloved granddaughter. She may be older, but she's still got it!

Kate Edison, on the other hand, was feeling useless. How much use could she be to a giant alien robot?

As if sensing her thoughts, Optimus Prime brought the girl up to eye-level. "Do not worry, Kate. I remember your grandmother well. She will be able to help us."

Kate sighed, "I know... It's just, why would my own grandmother keep such a secret from me? I mean, she told me stories, but she never even hinted that she was friends with you guys!"

"It's a rather classified subject. You must respect her decision."

Kate remained quiet, knowing the Prime was right. She wondered what stories her grandma hadn't told her. She also wondered how many people knew the truth.

Before Kate could ask her robotic friend, however, the sound of a low-flying helicopter caused Optimus to visibly tense. The helicopter flew over the tips of the mountains and made a beeline for the pair.

Hold on to me and try to stay out of sight," Optimus ordered.

Kate nervously held onto his shoulder blades (do Autobots even have shoulder blades?). Optimus kept his blue optics fixed on the helicopter, but no hostility came from the flying vehicle. It landed about a hundred feet from Optimus, and a single man stepped out. Kate's eyes widened in recognition. "Grandpa?"

His optics began to flicker back into life just as Earth came in sight. His destination was almost upon him.

Startled Russians looked up at their night sky in awe. A giant fireball was hurtling toward the ground at an immense speed. The fireball crashed into the snowy tundra known as Siberia. It stood up slowly, got its bearings, and ran off

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I am so sorry this is incredibly short. It was kind of hard to write... But, I'm hoping the chapters will get longer as I get used to the story...

So, how about that cliffhanger? ;D And who do you think our new arrival is? Friend or foe?

Have a good day~


	4. Arrivals

Hey! Okay, so this chapter is pretty short, but I've got plenty planned for the next few chapters~ It should start picking up. Now if only I can find time to type... ;_;

Anyway, I don't own Transformers unfortunately..

Thanks to all the follows, favs, and, of course, reviews. I appreciate it so much!

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Chapter 3 - Arrivals

"Wait, so grandma _lied_ about your death to keep this whole secret organization a, well, secret? What the hell?!" Kate felt like her brain was going to explode from all the sudden revelations. She rubbed the bridge of her nose, feeling a migraine coming on. Too much thinking isn't good for a young girl.

Currently, Kate and her grandfather, James, were heading to a hidden military base about sixty miles from the valley in which she'd found Optimus. Her grandmother was already there, waiting.

"Why? I mean, she could've at least told me. I'm family, for goodness' sake!" Although angry and slightly hurt, Kate still couldn't help but stare at the man next to her. All her life, she'd believed he died long before her birth of a brain aneurysm. Instead, he was alive and well, heading a covert operation dealing with aliens. Honestly, it was all a lot to take in.

James sighed. He couldn't blame his granddaughter. He was upset at not being able to ever spend time with her. "I know you're hurt. I'm sorry. Your grandma did what she thought to be right. Trust me, it wasn't an easy decision."

Kate sighed; she was still upset, but her emotions would have to wait. Optimus rounded a corner, and the base came in sight. The helicopters had already landed, and several people were waiting for them to arrive.

As soon as James stepped out of Optimus, a man came up and said, "Sir, we've detected a signal in northwestern Siberia. We're almost positive it's a Transformer."

At the man's words, Optimus transformed. People stopped in their tracks, mouths agape as they watched what could only be classified as a miracle unfold right in front of them. Kate smiled a little to herself. She'd seen him transform many times, but it never got old.

"We must get to the signal's location immediately. If you are correct, and it is a Cybertronian, we have to determine whether it's friend of foe." Optimus's deep voice rang out across the base.

"We're already on that," informed James. He motioned to a large jet parked to his left. "We can leave in about an hour." Optimus nodded, then looked around. The base hadn't changed much in the last thirty year. Apart from better technology and weapons and fresh paint on the enormous buildings, everything was as he remembered.

Kate's voice jolted the Autobot out of his thoughts. "Grandma!" The college girl rushed to her grandmother and gave her a hug. "Man, you've got a lot of explaining to do."

Rose chuckled, "Nice to see you, too. I promise I will explain what I can in time. For now, I'm going to give you a tour. Then, we can focus on our new arrival in Siberia." The elderly woman chuckled when Kate made a face that clearly said she wanted some answers now and not later. Yes, she had grown up well…

About four hours later, Optimus Prime was landing in Siberia. He drove out of the jet and transformed in his bipedal mode. Looking around, the Autobot leader picked up faint traces of energon. "This way," he said and jogged off.

Soon, he and James's men came across a lone car sitting in the middle of the tundra. The car was an old and faded Martini Porsche 935 racing car. Optimus regarded it silently for a moment before breaking out into a small smile. "Jazz."

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Dang this chapter is _really_ short. Sorry about that...

Thank goodness for Google. I found Jazz's original car form~ Thought that might be a nice touch...

Until next time, my pretties~


	5. Friends

I've had a lot of free time near a computer at work lately, so I managed to type this pretty fast. Hope you enjoy!

I don't own Transformers *sobs*

Thanks for the reviews, favs, and follows! They mean a lot!

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Chapter 4 - Friends

Kate sighed for the twelfth time that day. She was absolutely bored. Today was Sunday, so she had no classes. As a result, she'd ended up back at the base. Optimus wasn't back yet, and no one would tell her what was happening. They all ignored her as if she were invisible. Suddenly, her phone began to ring, startling the girl out of her stupor. She hurriedly answered the call so as to shut off the annoying "Barbie Girl" song that was playing. Kate allowed her friends to choose their own ringtones, and her roommate had, for some unknown reason, decided this song would be perfect.

"Hey, Layla. What's up?" Kate answered the call casually as if she wasn't on a secret military base waiting for her giant, alien robot friend to come back.

"Kate! Oh my gosh, where have you been? You keep disappearing and it's freaking me out!" Layla cried.

Kate sighed, "Sorry. I have some, uh, family business I've been taking care of. Nothing major."

"Family business? I thought all your family was back in Louisiana…" Layla's voice was full of skepticism.

"Um, well, they might want to move out here, so I've been helping them look at houses," Kate hoped she sounded convincing.

Layla didn't speak right away, and Kate was worried she didn't believe her when the preppy girl spoke again, "Oh. Well, that's sweet of you! But, do you want to hang out today? I mean, you don't have to house shop all day, do you?"

Kate let out the breath she had been holding and pondered her roommate's suggestion. It was true, she hadn't seen her friends outside of class in quite some time and missed interacting with them. But, what if Optimus came back or something happened to him? In the end, she decided lying around base wasn't doing her any good and agreed to meet up with Layla and some other friends for lunch.

About an hour and a half later, Kate walked into a trendy restaurant to see Layla, Jacob, and a couple other friends already seated. She walked over to them and slid into the large booth next to Jacob. He glared at her as if to punish her for disappearing so much, then gave her a tight bear hug. "About time you got a social life," Jacob grinned. Kate rolled her eyes and shoved him away. He fell back theatrically and feigned injury, causing the girl to laugh. She chatted with her friends while waiting for one or two more people to show up. After ordering her food, Kate sat back for a moment and smiled to herself. She really had missed being with her friends, and it felt good to talk to people her age again. However, one thing was continually bugging her in the back of her mind. She felt herself wondering how Optimus was doing, and if he had found a friend in Siberia...

Optimus Prime was happy, which was a big deal for him. It had been a long time since he'd seen his close friend and trusted commander, Jazz. Of course, he'd been in recharge for most of that time, but still, the weight was felt.

Jazz looked around the enormous base, memories flooding back to him. "Ya said it's been thirty years?" he said, his voice still holding disbelief.

"Yes, my friend," Optimus's voice was patient, despite having had to explain the situation at least ten times already.

"Damn. Guess we missed a lot, huh?"

Optimus nodded. "Yes, but the humans' knowledge of technology has greatly increased in such a short time. If only Ratchet or Wheeljack were here to create a computer to pick up Autobot and Decepticon signals."

Jazz agreed, "Yeah, I ain't too good at that stuff… So, Prime, what've I missed? What's goin' on?"

"I am not entirely sure. We have been gone for approximately thirty years, and in that time, humans have begun to forget about us. I was found a few days ago by a human girl. She accidentally knocked me out of recharge. You, I assume were in space. I assume the rest of us are in space as well. Whether they are coming back or not, I do not know. I only hope they are still alive."

Jazz was silent, taking all this information in. He and Optimus were the only Transformers, let alone Autobots, on Earth. All his other friends were presumably floating somewhere in space. Jazz sighed deeply. No use brooding; Earth had changed much in the short time he was away. He was curious to see some of these changes. "Where's the gal who woke ya up? Haven't seen her around."

"I do not know. She may have gone back to her school for a time. I'm sure we will see her soon. Her grandmother and grandfather are James and Rose."

Jazz raised his eyebrows. "Seriously? So they _did_ get married!"

Optimus gave a slight smile. "Indeed. Their granddaughter's name is Kate. She is a very intelligent human."

Jazz grinned, but before he could respond, Kate herself came bounding up. "Hi, Optimus! Glad to see your mission went well. Who's this?"

"Hello, Kate," answered the Prime, "This is my second-in-command, Jazz."

"Yo!" Jazz greeted with a friendly wave.

Kate waved back shyly and said, "Sorry I wasn't here when you got back. I went to lunch with some of my friends. Apparently they've noticed I've been disappearing a lot and were worried." Kate scratched the back of her head bashfully.

"It sounds like you have good friends. Make sure to keep them close. Losing friends is never a pleasant feeling."

Kate had no answer to Optimus's words. He sounded like he was speaking from experience.

Jazz coughed loudly. "Enough of this depressing stuff! Little lady, why dontcha show me 'round? The base looks a bit different from what I remember."

"Sure! Mind you, I still get lost in here, too…"

A giant fireball lit up the dark, New Mexican sky. Startled late-night partiers stared up at the sky, wondering if they'd had one too many drinks. The fireball crashed into an abandoned warehouse in the middle of a field. An enormous humanoid figure stood up a moment later. His red optics surveyed the area where he'd landed, taking in the landscape. He grinned and said to no one in particular, "I'm back."

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Hohoho who could that be?

Also, hanging with friends is something I wish I'd done more now that everyone's leaving for college... Oh well...

Until next time, my pretties 3


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